Self-closing gauging hatch



Sept. 27 3949. R. ERG

SELF-CLOSING GAUGING HATCH ass 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1945 I INVENTOR Ewe .B gi

ATTORNEY SELF-CLOS ING GAUGING HATCH Filed June 29, 1945 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Kw ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to closure assemblies, and more particularly to hatches and manholes for providing access to tanks and other containers that are used to confine liquids, for example, such as petroleum and various of the refined or partially refined products thereof.

In closures of this type it is desirable for many purposes that the cover member be supported for movement into and out of closing position without disconnection of the cover from its support. To this end such covers have been pivotally supported on a shaft or stud extending at right angles to the seating surface and swung about the support away from closed position when access to the hatch or manhole opening has been desired.

In the use and operation of such swinging covers frequently it is difficult to start the cover from its seating position, especially after having been long in contact therewith. This condition may be caused either by the adhesive character of portions of the material confined in the container with which the closure is used and which have spilled onto the seating surface, or b rusting or other corrosion of the contacting surfaces of the cover and the seat provided about the opening, or it may be caused by the formation of ice about the cover edge when the tank or other container is exposed to the weather, or for other reasons.

When closures of this type are mounted for movement in a horizontal plane about a fixed pivot, as for example, when they are used with gauging hatches and manholes associated with the roof structure of an oil tank, a tank car or other liquid receptacle, it also sometimes happens that a gauger or other operator of the closure, after he has opened it to take measurements or for other purposes, will overlook closing it, thus giving rise to avoidable losses through evaporation or undesired entry of water, dust or other contaminating substances. frequently burdened with sampling devices, gauges or other equipment, and may be obliged to make his inspections under unsatisfactory weather conditions, all of which are contributing factors making it more likely that he may overlook closing the hatch or adding to his difiiculties in performing the manipulative operations involved.

The present invention has for an object to provide an improved closure assembly of the type above indicated which enables the gauger or other person operating the closure to break the seat- The operator is also ing contact of the cover with the seating surface and to swing the cover away from the opening by one continued manipulation of an operating lever which may be actuated either by the hand or the foot.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for self-closing of the cover upon release of the operating lever as, for example, when the operator removes his foot from the operating lever or pedal upon completion of his inspection or measuring operations.

One of the features of the invention resides in the association with a hatch cover or the like that is mounted both for swinging movement about a supporting stud and for movement lengthwise thereof, of a lever operated cam arranged to be brought into bearing engagement with a cooperating bearing surface of the cover or an extension thereof and which when rotated in one direction will cause the cover to move axially along its supporting stud away from its supporting surface, and upon rotation in the opposite direction, permits the return sliding movement of the cover axially of the supporting stud to- Ward its seating position.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a turning sector mounted for rotation by the cam operating lever and operable, after an appropriate interval of movement of the cam sufiicient to insure unseating of the cover member, to impart swinging movement of the cover member about its supporting stud through suitable connections with the cover.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of an extension of the cam which acts as a dwell furnishing a low friction bearing support for the cover and maintaining it in the predetermined raised position during the swinging movement of the cover.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an adjustably counterweighted lever arm disposed in counter-balanced relation to the operating lever or pedal and acting through suitable connections with the turning sector to bias the cover to its normally closed or seating position when the operating lever is released.

The invention includes as a further feature an improved arrangement of means for forcing the cover into pressure sealing engagement with the seating surface of the hatch and to maintain it under any desired degree of pressure during intervals between operations of the closure.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a closure assembly embodying the invention with the cover in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a part vertical section and part side elevations, with section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken at the left hand side of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 with the cam rotated into position to raise the cover from the seating surface;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing the cover in position to expose the opening normally closed thereby; and

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the closure assembly comprises the ring flange I extending about the opening 2. The flange may be bolted as at 3 to the roof or other supporting wall portion of the tank or other container with which the closure is associated. The flange I is provided with an upstanding annular shoulder 5, Fig. 2, terminating in a planar face 9. A groove 1 is formed in the face 3 and receives a gasket II providing a seating surface I2 upon which bears the planar face I3 at the under side of the cover It. The cover I4 is pivotally supported upon the stud I5 having its end portion I'I threaded into a threaded hole in the flange I. The stud I6 is formed with a shoulder I8 bearing on the upper surface of the flange I and is provided with an hexagonal bolt head I9 to receive a wrench for screwing the stud fast in the threaded hole in the flange I and for other purposes hereafter described. The cover [4 is provided with a hub portion 2I having a bore fitting to the stud I6 to provide for the pivotal or swinging movement of the cover about the axis of the stud I6 in a plane parallel to the seating surface I2 of the gasket II. The hub 2I is also so fitted to the stud as to provide for sliding movement of the hub along the stud I6 when carrying the cover It vertically upward or downward from or to the seating surface I2.

The hub 2| of the cover I4 also is provided with a laterally extending portion 23 having on its under side 26 a cam follower surface for engagement by the cam 25. As hereinafter more fully described when rotated in one direction the cam 25 exerts upward pressure upon the hub 2I to slide it upwardly along the stud I5, thereby lifting the cover from the seating surface I2. The cam is so formed that it operates to lift the cover from the seating surface I2 prior to operation of the mechanism to be described for effecting the swinging movement of the cover I4 to a position uncovering the hatch opening 2.

As may be seen in Fig. 3, the cam surface 26 of cam 25 is so formed as to permit the cover I4 to seat upon the surface I2 when the lever 28 is in a lifted position as shown in Fig. 3. As shown the cam 25 is formed integrally with the hub of the lever 28 and, therefore, is rotatable therewith about the axis of the supporting stud 35. When the lever 28 and cam 25 are rotated counterclockwise as shown in Fig. 3, about the axis of the stud 36 the dwell portion 21 of the cam 25, which is in the form of a circular arc, will eventually be brought into engagement with the cam follower surface 2t. So long as the surface 2 3 is in engagement with the dwell 21, the cover will be maintained in its lift-ed position and is free for swinging movement about the stud I6. Since the follower surface establishes a line contact with the dwell 21, the re-- sulting bearing offers little frictional resistance to turning movements of the cover. Upon reverse movement of the lever 28, the arcuate dwell surface 21 is moved along the cam follower surface 24 until the toe of the cam surface 26 engages said surface 24. Thereafter upon further reverse movement of the lever 28 and cam 25, the hub 2I and the cover I4 may slidably move under their weight downwardly along the stud I5 until the seating surface I3 of the cover comes into contact with the seating surface I2 of the gasket II.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the stud 30 is supported by brackets and 35 formed upon an extension 34 of the flange I. The stud 30 may be provided with a head 31 and may be held in place by a set screw 31' in the bracket 35.

Also pivotally supported by stud 30, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and so as to move thereon in oscillating movement independently of the cam 26 for part of its camming rotation, is a member 48 in the form of a sector connected to a hub 4| the bore of which rotatably fits upon the stud 30. At the peripheral arcuate portion of the sector til and extending laterally from the web 42 thereof :is a lug 44 formed and arranged to engage an upstanding projection or pin 46 carried by the extension 23 of the hub H. In Fig. 3 the lug M is shown in engagement with the pin ii so that movement of the sector in a counterclockwise direction will cause the hub 2I and the cover I4 integral therewith to rotate clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1, about stud I6. The proportions of the parts and their relation are such that the pin 46, the hub 2! and the cover 14 move through an angle of approximately 90 in the embodiment illustrated, from the closed position as shown in Fig. 1 to a position substantially 90 therefrom as shown in Fig. 5, when the sector 40 is rotated to the full ex tent possible when actuated by the lever 28.

In order to effect such movement of the sector 48 and of pin 46 to produce opening movement of the cover, the cam 25 is provided with a laterally extending lug 5t for engagement with the edge surface 43 of said sector 40. As will be seen from Fig. 3, when the lever 28 is in fully raised position, the cover Hi being in closed position in contact with seating surface [2 and the lug 44 being in engagement with the pin 45, the lug 59 is spaced from the edge surface 43 of the sector 49. Movement of the lug from the position shown in Fig. 3 to a position in which the lug 50 is in contact with the edge surface 43, as shown in Fig. 4, occurs concomitantly with movement of the lever 28 from the position shown in Fig. 3 downwardly through the distance required for the cam surface 26, acting on the cam follower surface 24, to lift the cover from the seating surface I2. During movement of the lug into contact with the edge 43 of the sector 40 there is thus provided a lost motion beween these parts which prevents movement of the sector during the cover lifting movement of the cam. Upon further movement of the lever 28 downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 the lug 5i] bearing on the surface 43 moves the sector 48, counterclockwise in Fig. 3 and clockwise in Fig. 4, about the stud 3D to open the closure as above described.

The sector 48 is provided with a weight arm extending outwardly therefrom to carry an adjustable counterweight 62. When hand or foot pressure is Withdrawn from the lever 28, the counterweight 62 and weight arm 61] are effective to bias the sector 40 to movement clockwise in Fig. 3, counterclockwise in Fig. 4, about the stud 38', thereby effecting reverse movement of the cam 25 and, as a part of the same biasing movement of sector 40, producing return movement of the cover id to its position covering the opening 2. For this latter purpose the sector fie is provided with a laterally extending lug 66 for engagement with the upstanding pin 46 at the opposite side thereof from the lug 44. The lug 56 like the lug 44, in consideration of the proportions of the parts, is capable of effecting movement of the pin '46, and, therefore, of the cover Hi reversely through the angle of 90 through which they have been moved in clockwise direction by the lug hl acting on the pin $5. This closing movement may take place during the time in which the arcuate surface 2'! of cam 25 is in contact with the cam follower surface 2d, thus holding the cover up from the seating surface l2 during this reverse movement. When the cover reaches its registering position above the opening 2, the lug 53 reaches the position shown in Fig. 4 still in con tact with but about to leave the edge surface 43 of the sector 40. Under its weight the cover M then moves downwardly until it comes in contact with the seating surface l2, the cam follower surface 24 bearing on the cam toe to move the cam to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus moving the lug 50 away from the edge surface 63 and further raising lever 28 to the position of Fig. 3.

In order to prevent swinging movement of the cover beyond its registering position with respect to the opening 2 and also to provide means [or pressing the cover disk i l on to the seat 2, a yoke Ill is provided and arranged for swinging movement with the cover to and from closing position. As shown, the yoke H3 is provided with a hub E2, the bore of which fits on the stud i6 to permit the yoke iii to pivot about the stud it in a plane parallel to the plane of the swinging movement of the cover M and also to move slidably along stud iii. The opposite end of the yoke Iii is provided with a forked hub 14 for engagement with the stud l8 threaded at its lower end 19 into and provided with shoulder 86 bearing on the upper surface of the flange l. The stud E8 is provided with an hexagonal bolt head 8!. The upper surfaces of the hubs l2 and M respectively may bear against the heads 19 and 8! of the studs l6 and 18 when the yoke H3 is forced upwardly thereagainst. The yoke if! is provided with a stiffening web 83.

In order that the yoke iii may have a swinging movement corresponding with that of the cover 4, a suitable connection is established between the cover and the yoke As shown the connection includes an upwardly extending bracket 85 carried on the cover l4 and having a lug Bl extending upwardly therefrom. Extending downwardly from the yoke l9 at either side of the lug 81 are ears 89, one or the other of which is engaged by the lug 8'1 when the cover M is swung upon the stud iii to or from closing position with respect to the opening 2, thereby carrying the yoke 10 with the cover in its swinging movement. By means about to be described, force may be exerted between the cover Hi and the yoke ill to force these two members apart. It will be apparent from consideration of Fig. 2 that when the hubs i2 and M are in contact with the bolt heads l9 and Si, force so applied will act to press the cover l4 downwardly upon the seating surface l2. Upon release of such force the yoke may move slidably downward alongthe studs l5 and i8 until the lower face of the yoke iii rests upon-the top surface 88. of the lug 8i. q

In order to prevent binding of the yoke 10 on thestud. Iii due to tilting, a tap bolt Hll, Fig. 3, having a head H i is threaded in the side of stud I6. Upon said bolt iii] a roller H2 is rotatably supported so that the under surface of the hub 12 may rest thereon when the bottom face of the yoke Hi rests on the upper surface 38 of the lug 8'! attached to the bracket 55 when the yoke is released as above mentioned. As the yoke is carried .in swinging movement with the cover M, the yoke may move on said roller H2. The location of the tap bolt i it vertically along the stud IB is suchthat the lower face of the hub 52 may be in contact with the roller H2 when the cover M is in the position to which it is lifted by the operation of the cam 25.

In order to produce the force necessary initially to move the yoke 10 upwardly into contact with the bolt heads [9 and 8! and thereafter to press the cover 14 downwardly upon the seating surface l2, the cover M is provided with an additional bracket 9| extending upwardly therefrom and spaced from bracket 85. Through suitable holes in brackets and 9| a pin 93 passes to provide a pivot for a cam lock. The stud 93 is provided with a head 94 bearing on the outer face of the bracket 9| and is held in place by a cotter pin 95 in contact with the outer face of the bracket 85. Pivotally mounted upon the pin 93 is a cam '91, the outline of which is shown in Fig. 6, having a cam surface 99 formed for contact with the under surface of the yoke EU. The cam 91 is provided with a pair of lever arms I0! and H12 in such angular relation to each other and to the cam surface 99that when the arm liil is pressed downwardly, the cam lifts the yoke Ii) with respect tothe cover [4. When the arm I02 is pressed downwardly, thus raising the arm lfll, the cam surface 99 moving with respect to the under surface of the yoke l0 permits this yoke to drop until it is in contact with the lug 81 and with roller H2. Thereafter, further downward movement of the arm W2 releases the pressure of the cam from the yoke and leaves the cover in unlocked condition, that is, without pressure being exerted thereon tending to separate the yoke and the cover. When the cover is in unlocked condition, the end 32 of the lever 28 may be depressed to lift the hub 21 and break the seating contact of the cover 14 with the seating surface l2. Thereafter, as above described, the swinging movement of the cover may take place upon further depression of the lever 28. It will be apparent that when the lever it?! is in the downwardly pressed position, the cam thus effecting locking of the cover, lifting of the cover from its seat by operation of the lever 28 is not possible. Inadvertent operation of the lever 28 by foot or otherwise thus is prevented until care has been taken to unlock the cover by operation of the cam 91 by means of the lever 12.

It will be apparent from the above description that all of the parts requisite for breaking the contact of the cover with the seating surface E2, swinging movement of the cover from its position covering the opening 2 to its position uncovering said opening, as well as for locking and unlocking the cover are compactly and conveniently arranged in the closure. device of the invention so that operation thereof preferablyby foot pressure may be readily accomplished; The cover may first be unlocked by pressure of the foot upon the lever I52. Thereafter depression of the lever 28 breaks the contact and continued pressure on lever 28 swings the cover-to uncover the opening. In this swinging movement the parts which con-- stitute the lock mechanism are carried with the cover and are ready in place for locking operation upon return movement of the cover to its position covering the opening. Moreover because of the provision of the counterweight 62 and the parts operatively connecting this weight to the cover, the cover is always in the position covering the opening unless held away therefrom by operation of the lever 28. Even though inadvertently the cover were not locked by operation of the cam 97 the cover normally closes the opening 2 and is held in contact with and in covering relation to the seating surface i2 by virtue of its own Weight and that of the yoke 10, and by. virtue of the biasing action of the counter-weighted arm 60 acting through lug, 66; asabove described.

It will be understood that although the closure illustrated in the drawings is shown for operation in connection with. an opening having a seating, surface disposed in a horizontal plane, that is, the face of the flange i is horizontal, the device may be used in connection with flanged opening or hatches that have a moderate degree of inclination to the horizontal. In a closure such as illustrated and. embodying the self-closing feature, the inclination should not be so great. that the plane of action of the counterweight 62' and of the weight arm 50 is ineffective to produce turning movement of the sector 49 upon the' axis of the stud 30. In the broader aspects,.however; the self-closing i embodiment of the" invention 1ncludesconstructions in which are provided means effective first to lift the cover from the seating surface and thereafter pivotallyto movesaid cover to a-posi tion exposing the opening and preferably in a plane generally parallel to the plane ofthe seating surface, together with biasing means for effecting return movement of the cover to the seating surface.

It will be understood, however, that the camming arrangement which permits of unseating or cracking of the sealing engagement of the cover with its seat and then swinging of the cover to one side all'as a part of the same continued operating movement may be applied without reference to the horizontality or inclination of the hatch opening and with or Without association with means for insuring self-closing or return movement of the elements involved;

Various other changes in the arrangements of the structural elements and'adaptations of the features of the invention to many situations other than'those mentioned herein may be: made without departing from the invention, which is not to be deemed as limited otherwise than as indicated by the language of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In av closure for hatch. openings andv the like, in combination, a flange providing a seat extending about said opening, a stud supported on said flange adjacent said seat, a cover adapted to be brought into engagement with said seatwhen in covering relation to said opening and pivotall'y and slidablysupported onsaid cover lengthwise of said stud to lift said cover from said'seat, a projection carried by said cover to move therewith about said stud in the pivotal movement of said cover on said stud, a sector member supported for oscillating movement and having a lug for engaging said projection to produce movement of said projection. about said stud to effect pivotal movement of said cover upon oscillating movement of said sector member, a lever connected to said cam to effect initially said sliding movement of said cover by said operation of said cam upon operation of said lever, said cam having a lug arranged thereon so as to engage said oscillatable sector member upon further movement of said lever to produce said pivotal movement of said cover after said cam effects said sliding movement thereof.

2. In the combination according to claim 1, means operatively connected to said oscillatable sector member and said lever and biased to oppose said operation thereof to effect opening movement of said cover, said oscillatablesector member having a second lug for engaging said projection carried by said cover to effect closing movement of said cover under the action of said bias means.

3. In an enclosure for a hatch opening or the like, in combination, a flange providing a seat extending about said opening, a stud supported on said flange adjacent said seat, a cover adapted to be broughtv into engagement with said seat when in coveringrelation to said opening and pivotally and slidably supported on said stud, a yoke slidably and pivotally movable on saidstud and having means engaging said cover to effect said pivotal movement of said yoke con comitantly with the pivotal movement of said cover, camming means acting upon said. yoke and said cover and operable to effect separating movement of said yoke and said cover relative to each other, a second stud supported on said flange oppositely across said opening from said first stud and engaged by said yoke when said cover is in said covering relation to said opening, said studs providing means for resisting movement of said yoke away from said seat, whereby said cover is pressed upon said. seat uponoperation of said camming means, a rotatable cam normally in engagement with a cam follower surface operatively connected to said cover and operable through said engagement to effect sliding movement of said cover lengthwise of. said first stud to lift said cover from said seat, and means operatively connected to said cover and to said cam and operable, after said. camhas been. rotated sufiiciently to unseat said cover, to pivotally move said cover from its closed position to a position clear of said opening.

RENE BERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'EN'IS Number Name Date 1,049,659 Bratton Jan. 7,1913 1,070,128 Gross Aug. 12,1913 1,543,742v Babitzky June 30,1925

75 2,124,763 Clark July 26,1938 

